May 3, 2008

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Saturday, May 3, 2008) The Redhawks softball team continued it's recent struggles as they dropped both games of an afternoon doubleheader against Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion Jacksonville State at the Southeast Softball Complex on Saturday. The losses all but eliminated the Redhawks from their pursuit of the final OVC Softball Tournament spot and the team will miss the OVC Tournament for the second-straight season.

The Redhawks (24-27, 11-15 OVC) had trouble with the Gamecocks (34-14, 21-4 OVC) right from the start. In game one the Redhawks needed a two-out single by Megan McDonald (Cape Girardeau, MO/Cape Central) in the bottom of the seventh to ruin Ashley Eliasson's perfect game bid as the Gamecocks easily won 7-0.

Eliasson, the OVC's reigning Pitcher of the Week, struckout Allie Borowiak (Nashville, IL/John A. Logan CC) looking after McDonald's hit to improve herself to 11-3 on the season. She followed her no-hitter against Austin Peay last weekend with a complete game one-hit masterpiece. She struckout four and didn't issue a walk.

Redhawks ace Elaine Fisher (St. Peters, MO/Francis Howell North) was ineffective in her start as she lasted only 2.2 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits.

Gamecocks lead-off hitter Chrissy O'Neal led the offense with a 3-4 day which included two doubles  and two runs scored. Nikki Prier and Kayla Collins each drove in two runs apiece.

In game two the Redhawks showed some life but ultimately fell 6-3. McDonald led the offense as she collected a first-inning solo homerun to left center.

The Gamecocks answered with three runs in the second highlighted by a Collins two-run homerun and two runs in the third compliments of a Collins two-run double for a 5-1 lead.

In the sixth Alex Ramirez (Corona, CA/El Modena) led-off with a double to rightfield. Stacia Dopudja (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) hit a one-out single to left to plate Ramirez and cut the lead to 5-2.

The Gamecocks got that run back in their half of the seventh on a Alana Hicks pinch-hit double to left to drive in Amy Brown.

The Redhawks tried in the final inning to get their first series win against their rivals from the south but could only manage one run and left the bases loaded to end the game.

Fisher (19-19) suffered the loss again as she lasted only three innings in her 109th career start which ranks second all-time just one start behind Traci Eudaley. She gave up five runs on seven hits and struckout two batters to give her 497 career strikeouts.

Melissa Dowling (22-9) got the complete game victory as she allowed three runs on seven hits.

Ramirez collected her eighth multi-hit game of the season going 2-4 with an RBI, a run scored and her seventh double of the season.

McDonald went 1-3 with her career-high ninth homerun of the season. her homerun also extended her hitting streak to eight games. She also assured herself of finishing with a batting average over .400. She is the fifth player in the programs history to bat over .400 in the season as she holds a current average of .410 which is tied for second on the single season list with Jenny Oermann.

Borowiak went 2-3 and scored a run for her third multi-hit game of the season.

Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) collected her 78th walk of her career, just one behind Tami Herbert for the school record.

Collins went 2-4 with four RBIs to lead the Gamecocks. O'Neal collected her second-straight multi-hit game of the day with a 2-4 performance.

The Redhawks conclude the season tomorrow with the series finale at 1:00 p.m. The Redhawks look to send their five seniors by snapping their 17-game losing streak to the Gamecocks.